Paul and the Jail House Ministry (Part 7)

Intro

Good morning all, I pray your week has been filled with many, many blessings.

We have just made it through the first full week of November, it seems strange that we are just a couple weeks away from Thanksgiving…

The year has been without a doubt one that has tested us, brought fear into our lives and made us wonder and worry about others we know that are at risk.

But we must trust the Lord while we act with faithfulness and responsibility to the message of the Gospel and our Lord Jesus.

You see the danger of days like this is this: We will isolate ourselves completely and will not allow others to see the joy that we hold in us.

So we have to be careful, we have to manage everything delicately. There is always right and wrong ways in doing things in the world we live today. But I believe Jesus is faithful my friends...

So we press on...

And this is our theme for this message this morning as we walk through the last half of Philippians chapter 3.

So join me there, Phil 3, verses 12-21

Philippians 3:12–21 ESV

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. 17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

So this morning I want us to look at at these thoughts today....

1. Press On, 2. Forget Yesterday - Seek Today, 3. Imitate Jesus and lastly 4. Our True Citizenship

So we remember where Paul is, he is in jail, under arrest and while its not the dungeon, He cannot leave this place to visit those churches he loves like the church at Philippi.

But he seeks to work and minister to them as best he can as he writes and send his ambassadors, like Timothy and Epaphroditus to carry his words and wishes to them.

The church at Philippi has face some opposition, they have faced the issue of false teachers in their midst.... Pau is working to correct these issues....

So lets begin…

1. Paul says.... You Must Press On.....

If you remember from last week Paul was speaking about those whom He referred to as dogs, those false teachers who were perverting the Word of God and teaching the necessity of works in addition to faith.

And toward the end of last weeks passage Paul speaks to his desires to be conformed in the image of Christ in every way, longing for the final completion of his faith, when He sees Jesus face to face… the resurrection of the dead.

And this is where we pick up today, Paul continues that thought here...

Look at verse 12....

Philippians 3:12 ESV

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Now talk about a motivational speech my friends, this is truly it.

In case anyone misunderstood what he was saying, Paul makes it clear that he has not yet obtained, He is imperfect at this present time and we realize that since he is still there in prison, He is with them.

And since he had not.. Paul says he presses on… In this verse and verse 14, Paul uses this phrase, “press on” which has the meaning of “pursuing after” So Paul’s active goal or call is to the commitment He has to serve and follow the Lord Jesus.

Paul is passionate about this… remember he says “....to Live is Christ and die is Gain…” back in chapter 1.

Now when you consider this meaning, "to press on or to purse Christ” in light of what He has already said… in verse 10; that I might know him.... in the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. Paul longed to know Jesus in every way… especially in being conformed into His image ( there he would obtain perfection) and with that the joy of the resurrection.

And the extreme push Paul has for this experience comes strictly out of what Paul has said in the end of verse 12…

Phil 3:12b “… because Christ has made me His own…” Paul is so moved by the life and death of Jesus… Knowing that while He has died for the while world, Christ loved Paul… He made Paul his own.

Likewise, Paul longs with the same passion, to love and make Christ Lord in every way… that it even involves life and experience.

Paul is pressing on to know Jesus...

question

Stop for a minute and think about how much love Christ showed you .... are you doing your best to love him and live for Him with the same commitment…even to death?

Now lets move to our second thought....

2. Forget Yesterday and Seek Today....

I am convinced is there is one thing that plagues many people it is the fear of “what if.”

What is that hadn’t happened, or What if i had done this differently… We are guilty at times of looking or paying attention to the things of yesterday instead of placing our focus on today.

Which keeps us form moving forward effectively....

Look back at our text.....

Philippians 3:13–16 ESV

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Here is some of the best imagery that Paul employs as He speaks to the church in this letter...

He employs the imagery of competition, of the Greek athletic games, since the while region where familiar with these games.

So he tells them, I am not there yet, I haven’t obtained it it but I am still running the race and here he gives us two thoughts to really drive the point home..

A. Forgetting what is behind.... Listen my friends, the past is just that, the past. we can’t change it. We cannot return to yesterday or any previous day and make it different.. What’s done is done.

O my friends, how many people are captivated by “yesterday”, the “good ole” days or what it once way” Those things only serve to paralyze the believer and literally keeps us from the future God has in store for us.

But secondly Paul says this....

B. Straining forward to what lies ahead.... Again this is a athletic picture Paul drawing here.... think of the effort a person gives in the games, they are straining, pulling their strength from every ounce of muscle tissue in hope it will be enough to win the event....

So instead of looking behind, they keep pushing, and as the old saying goes, they have their eyes on the prize. They are striving to win…

The goal of all of this is what Paul refers to as the Upward call of Jesus Christ. This “goal” this end is what pPaul is working so diligently for…Paul lives each day as if it were the last, seeking to be be obedient, seeking to serve faithfully so that he is ready to make that flight...

He longs to be faithful in everything He does.... he longs to see Jesus and walk in that city...

Friends, we have all made mistakes, we have all said the wrong thing at one time or another.... we have all had a moment where we failed in our walk, His mission and purpose for our lives..

Does that stop us… no we push forward, never giving up. We want to see Jesus!

Look at verse 16 with me...

Philippians 3:16 ESV

16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

What is Paul saying here? Well in a nut shell it is what I just said, don't give up. Believers must remain steadfast. The phrase let us hold true carries the meaning of let us live up to… What we have learned, what we have gained in knowledge with our walk with Christ.. Don’t forget it, hold fast to it. Walk in a orderly or disciplined way.

You see knowing the truth of God, we are not to stray form it, we cannot abandon any truth we know instead we are obligated to the Word to live according to its truth.

We do this until the day we see Jesus.

My friends don't let the world deceive you into thinking God is “OK"with this or that… He is not. He expects us to live as He has taught us… everything else is sin.

I look forward to that day, don’t you… And I want to appear before him having lived my life well, don't you?

Then do not give up

Now lets look at our third thought for the day.

3. Imitate Jesus Always....

I think as we look at the testimony of Paul’s life, we see that he did his best each day to emulate Christ in his life. And this truth is also the message that he has stressed for each believer who seeks to follow Christ in the fullest manner.

And this is the task that is set before us, and to model for each other....

Look with me at verses 17-19, here in Chapter 3

Philippians 3:17–19 ESV

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Some struggle with Paul’s words for others to follow His example, or his actions. Listen Paul doesn’t have a huge ego or anything…But Paul knows that people need people to model the Christian walk and way in front of them.

In today’s world we might consider the idea of mentoring another. A mentor is one who works with a person to help mold them, shape them into the person they desire to be...

So for Paul being the founder of the church, know there are those Judaizers there who desire to lead people astray.. simply says if you want to know what to do, how to do, look at me, learn from me.

But Paul wasn’t calling for exclusiveness. At the end of verse 17… He is saying there are others you can follow after as well. See it there at the end of verse 17 “....and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

So think of this, is there a great Christian that you admire? Oh Billy Graham, Charles Spurgeon, Adrian Rogers, Mordecai Ham, John the Revelator, Paul…

These are different people but they are like minded… emulate them. Pattern your life after them. Use them as an example.

If they can be all in… of my friends, we can be all in.

And we do so because many have walked away from the truth and walk as enemies of the cross.

This broke Paul’s heart, that many were on the other side… He shed tears for them..

Listen to David in Psalm 119:136

Psalm 119:136 ESV

136 My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Let me ask you a question my friends… Have you shed any tears for those who are lost, those who have said no to the call of Jesus in their heart have you shed any tears for a neighbor who doesn’t follow....

How can we say we love our fellow man, How can we say we care for them and not be broken hearted, not be sorrowful for their soul and the condition it is in… Oh my friends .... people are in death and sin and daily they are pulled out a little deeper each day....

We must imitate Jesus, we must imitate other Christians, learn and be encouraged by them

I never will forget Dr. Mohler… writing a note to us… He cared for those under him, even if he didn’t know us personally

Be Jesus in a lost world my friends....

Now my friends, just one last thought for today.... it involves our future home and our true citizenship

4. Our True Citizenship....

You know over the last few days we have all wondered what the future holds for us as citizens with this election taking place and what the fallout will be...

We wonder what changes are taking place or not.... and it stresses us quite frankly.

We simply do not like change.... we like things neat and orderly so to speak.. But change is coming… one that we will like

I want to remind you that this is not our home, this is just part of the journey my friends, God brought us into this world to reveal His great love to us and take us home...

Let’s look back to the last portion of the text.... Verses 20-21

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Now Paul does something really interesting here… He takes a city where citizenship is so important. and plays off it to what is coming doe those believers.

If you remember, Philippi is a unique colony, founded by Roman soldiers and it was a Roman colony through and through. Its citizens were thankful to be a true Roman colony that has protections and rights that not everyone who lived within the Roman empire enjoyed.

So while citizens of this colony, they were waiting a Savior from that place, that place that their true citizenship was from...

Just had Rome had subdued the known would, the Kingdom of God would be revealed and Jesus would subdue this world, and His kingdom would be established here … whereby as citizens we will rule and reign with Him.

Now verse 21 tells us one more important truth…

When Jesus come, we know our Lord will transform our lowly bodies…and look at what Paul says

....These lowly fleshly bodies will be transformed, we will be like Jesus.

Isn’t that what desire the most...

We long for that day, when this life will be transformed, when this life will be changed completely....

Hebrews 9:28 ESV

28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

When Jesus steps out of glory and comes to gather His church, we will enjoy all the benefits of His Kingdom that He has promised to us...

Aren’t you thankful for the Savior.

New Testament VIII: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians Living as Expatriates

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: We know that this is well said, for we ought to live as strangers and expatriates in the world … not using the creation to satisfy our passions but high-mindedly and with thanksgiving

God is so good to us my friends, so good.

So I would remind you my friends to

1. Press On,

2. Forget Yesterday - Seek Today,

3. Imitate Jesus

4. And remember where Our True Citizenship lies....